More than 100 flights have arrived in the UK directly from India since the country was placed on the red list, it has emerged.
The measure came into force on April 23, but was not accompanied by a ban on direct flights, with 110 touching down in the three-and-a-half weeks since, analysis by LBC found.
On top of this, 16 flights arrived in the gap between the move being announced and coming into force three days later.
India was placed on the red list following the emergence of the variant which is believed to be far more transmissible than the Kent strain.
Flights are also permitted from neighbouring Pakistan and Bangladesh, which are also red listed - meaning people arriving from these countries must quarantine in a hotel for 10 days.
This is despite direct flights being banned from other countries where new variants emerged, including Brazil and South Africa.
Fears have been voiced over travellers being packed together at airports, meaning those arriving from India are mixing with passengers travelling to and from other parts of the world.
Last night the Mirror exclusively revealed that three planes potentially packed with passengers touched down at Heathrow Airport from Mumbai and Delhi early this morning – 26 days after India was slapped on the red list.
Only British and Irish citizens, or those with residence rights in the UK – including long-term visa holders – are allowed into England having travelled from or transited through India.
That rule came into force at 4am on April 23.
NHS Test and Trace figures show that in the two weeks from April 22 – one day before the ban came into effect – to May 5, some 4,258 people who arrived in England from India were tested for coronavirus.
Given that everyone is meant to be tested, the figure should be the same as the number of passengers.
Anxious travellers have said they were worried about catching Covid at airports after being mixed in with people from red list countries.
One said yesterday : "I arrived back in the country from South Africa - one of the red listed countries. I was more terrified catching Covid while going through border control than walking around South Africa.
"While queuing there was no social distancing we had a plane from India arrive straight after ours and we queued for over three hours and when their plane arrived it was out the door."
A Department for Transport spokeswoman told the Mirror: “We have adapted and bolstered our world leading test and quarantine systems for incoming passengers since the start of the pandemic, and will continue to closely monitor direct flights from a small number of Red List countries to see if a blanket ban would be necessary and proportionate.
“Public safety always comes first, however we need to also consider other factors, such as critical freight and helping British nationals return home safely.”
